Bread baking
With yeast dough making, it’s often better to start with the dough warm and cool it down if you need to rather than start with everything icy cold. This is because dry yeast needs a little warmth to begin with to break down the outer surface of the granules and activate the yeast clusters. So if it’s a bit chilly rinse the mixing bowl out with boiling water, and if the flour is cold make the water temperature a bit warmer to compensate.
Part-bake your own bread to save time another day. A small 400g loaf of bread will be set after about 25 minutes in the oven at 200C, rolls in about 15 minutes, but the crust won’t have properly formed. Just take the loaf out of the oven still on the tray and leave it to cool undisturbed. Then freeze it sealed tightly in a zip-lock bag or similar. Re-bake it from frozen in a 180C oven for about 15-20 minutes to rebuild the crust.
Pan sizes
Jumbo Pan – 25 x 11.5cm (10 x 4.5 inches) – 4-5 cups flour
Quick Bread Pan – 23 x 13cm (9 x 5 inches) – 4 cups flour
Standard/Large Pan – 22 x 12cm (8.5 x 4.5 inches) – 3 cups flour
Storing dry yeast
Keep in a cupboard until use, then store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Dry Yeast should be at room temperature before using. When you are ready to bake, take out only the amount of yeast needed for your recipe and let it sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before using. Immediately put remaining yeast back into storage, following the storage tips below.
It is important that air is limited to keep the yeast longer.
Separate dry yeast into multiple zipper bags and push out any air before sealing.
Label bags with “Best if used by” date and date package was opened.
Yeast Freshness Test
Follow these steps if you are unsure of the freshness of your yeast (or just want to give it a ‘good start’).
• Using a one-cup liquid measuring cup, dissolve 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar in 1/2 cup warm tap water, the tap water should be warm but NOT hot to the touch.
• Stir in 2-1/4 tsp (or one 1/4 oz. packet – 7g) of dry yeast until there are no more dry yeast granules on top. Yeast should be at room temperature before using.
• In three to four minutes, the yeast will have absorbed enough liquid to activate and start to rise.
• After ten minutes, the foamy yeast mixture should have risen to the 1-cup mark and have a rounded top.
• If this is true, your yeast is very active and should be used in your recipe immediately.
• Remember to deduct 1/2 cup liquid from the recipe to adjust for the water used in this test.
• If the yeast did not rise to the 1-cup mark, your yeast has little or no activity. Discard this yeast.